Kettering Alter Early Favorite in Otherwise Wide Open Division IV: 2009 DIV Football Preview

Zac Jackson, OhioHSsports.com, August 19, 2009 1 p.m.

WHAT’S NEW: For the last few years, it’s been the beasts of Region 13, Coldwater, Kettering Alter, then everyone else. Well, most of those R13 beasts have moved up to Div. III, and Coldwater is down to Div. V. Alter is finally the defending state champion after breaking through and upsetting Steubenville last November. On paper, the strongest region now seems to be the retooled Region 14 with Alter at the head of the class in a strong Region 16. Chagrin Falls, Perry and Martins Ferry lead a still-strong Region 13, and the race for the Div. IV crown is wide open -- and just a week or so from beginning.

REGION BY REGION: A glance at some of the top players and top teams…

13: Chagrin Falls returns 13 starters and 25 seniors to a team that narrowly lost to Walsh Jesuit in the Div. III playoffs. Senior QB Chris Trinetti will be looking to re-write the school records he set last year. Perry graduated an outstanding class but has been a program on a steady rise throughout the decade. Martins Ferry is loaded and experienced. The main question – will the Purple Riders’ schedule prepare them for November? Don’t rule out Youngstown Liberty, another Div. III dropper with plenty of athletes on the roster. Tuslaw, Manchester and CVCA should all be in the mix for the PAC-7 title and playoff spots. As expected, Canton Central Catholic struggled with a young team last year. There’s more experience on the roster and more winnable games on the schedule, but are the Crusaders still a year away? There’s probably not much room for error in the race for the eight postseason spots in this region.

14: Lorain Clearview got a reality check when it was ousted 56-12 by Ottawa-Glandorf in the first round of the playoffs. The Clippers return standout runner Anthony Hitchens and what they hope will be a stronger supporting cast. Fostoria will certainly miss the departed Micah Hyde but brings back size and speed, as well as playoff experience. Sixteen starters return for Elyria Catholic, and the Panthers will get a great gauge of where they stand when they host Youngstown Mooney in Week Three. Orrville is battling an August injury bug but has plenty of talent and will be battle tested if it can survive a brutal schedule. The re-drawing of the regions could leave Orrville battling Wayne County rivals Triway and Norwayne for playoff spots come late October.

15: Cory Kubbs, son of coach Chris Kubbs, takes over at QB for Marion Pleasant and will use 6’7 Cincinnati recruit Brad Harrah as his main target. Ironton was 8-4 last year and returns fullback Keith Wetzel (14 TD in ’08) and the core of its line, which is always good news for the kind of power running team the Tigers have been under Bob Lutz, who needs just seven wins to become Ohio’s all-time winningest coach. Coshocton was 9-2 last year and will welcome the move out of Region 13 after losing in the playoffs the last two years to Steubenville and Youngstown Mooney. Johnstown-Monroe moves up to Div. IV after going 8-3 and making the Div. V playoffs a year ago. Williamsport Westfall has been on the rise and believes it can top last year’s 8-3 mark.

16: Alter still appears to be the boss, even after losing great talent and leadership from last year’s team. The Knights will still have plenty of size and strength. Clinton-Massie should sport a talented, experienced team as well and scored wins over R16 rivals Waynesville and Jonathan Alder last year. Kenton is always dangerous with one Mauk (Matty) throwing and another (Mike) calling the shots.  Germantown Valley View returns to Div. IV, where it won two state titles in the 90’s, and North College Hill returns plenty of athletes from a team that got a taste of the postseason last year.

FAB FIVE:

Patrick Allen, RB-LB, Martins Ferry – Stout 230-pounder is a two-way force, and he should rack up the yards this season running behind an experienced line.

Cody Byers, DB, Alter – He’s a game-changer with a nose for the ball, and he’s already committed to play his college ball at Wisconsin. He’ll be counted on to provide leadership and big plays as Alter tries to find the right mix in replacing all the talent that graduated from last year’s squad.

Cole Drake, QB/RB/WR/DB, Wooster Triway – Drake did a little of everything last year, and with a new coach calling the shots it’s tough to tell where he’ll end up this season. He’s a dynamic player who can push the Titans back towards the postseason.

Anthony Hitchens, RB-LB, Lorain Clearview – Powerful runner eclipsed the 1,600 yard mark last season and enters his senior year thinking even bigger.

Matty Mauk, QB, Kenton – The Kid is just a sophomore, but with his name (and his game) he’s going to draw plenty of attention and have a chance over the next three seasons to pass his team to the kind of heights his brother did earlier in the decade.

STEPPING OUT: Three intersectional matchups to watch that should provide a good gauge of where perceived contenders actually stand

Week 1: Kenton at Coldwater: Not a whole lot of travel involved here, but there should be a whole lot of points scored – and a whole lot of computer points at stake.

Week 2: Akron Manchester at Coshocton: Former Region 13 rivals meet in a battle of two public school programs that traditionally love to run the ball and are almost always in postseason contention.

Week 10: Perry at Chagrin Falls: Yes, it’s a CVC game. But Perry (in Lake County and on Lake Erie) is a hike from just about anywhere, and this game figures to be huge both in terms of the league title and playoff positioning. In fact, it could be the first of two in a three-week span.

LAST WORDS: Marion Pleasant and Ottawa-Glandorf have met in the postseason in the last two years, with each school winning once. A third would come later in November this year as Pleasant has moved to R15 – but a third meeting would suit both schools just fine…Manchester has been a run-first team for all 38 years of Jim France’s tenure. But with a four-year starter at QB in Steven King and some talented targets complementing RB Craig Dougherty, the Panthers might open things up this fall…It’s hard to remember the last time there was this much movement with teams moving up from Div. V, down from Div. III, Martins Ferry shifting back to R13 and Orrville moving to R14…This year’s Div. IV playoffs will be played on Saturdays.